Guang Chen Pi:
Appears as 4 segments, orange-red on the outside, shriveled and concave, with oil glands (pores). The inner surface is yellowish-white with vein patterns, sponge-like, with a fragrant and pungent aroma, and breaks easily.
Guang Chen Pi:
The 5 pieces on the left are 15-year-old Guang Chen Pi, and the 2 pieces on the right are regular Guang Chen Pi.
Chen Pi Slices
Chen Pi:
Made from regular orange peel.
“Chrysanthemums fade, lotuses wither under a night of frost. New buds and green leaves illuminate the forest. From bamboo fences and thatched huts, green and yellow emerge. Fragrant mist startles one, half-unfurled, a clear spring flows, quenching thirst, hesitant to taste. The scent lingers on a Wu lady’s hands for three days.” – Su Shi, Song Dynasty
This poem, written by the great Northern Song scholar Su Dongpo, praises the fragrance of oranges. It vividly describes the scent of oranges, stating that even after peeling and eating the fruit, the fragrance on one’s hands could last for three days, indicating the rich volatile oils in the orange peel. Traditional Chinese medicine Chen Pi is made from processed orange peel.
According to the Third Edition of the Taiwanese Pharmacopoeia, Chen Pi (https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/%e9%99%b3%e7%9a%ae/) is the dried, mature pericarp of the Rutaceae plant Citrus reticulata Blanc and its cultivated varieties. Chinese medicinal materials are divided into “Guang Chen Pi” and “Chen Pi.” It is also known by other names such as Jupi, Hongpi, Huangjupi, and Guangjupi. As the best quality comes from Xinhui County in Guangzhou, it is also called Xinhui Pi. This medicinal material is harvested in late autumn and early winter when oranges are turning from green to yellow. It is also cultivated in Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Fujian. Taiwan, with its suitable climate, also cultivates it.
The medicinal material “Guang Chen Pi” is primarily produced in Xinhui County, Guangzhou. Medicinal materials over ten years old can fetch over NT$10 per gram. Due to its high price, it is often used for making tea and soups, and less frequently in prescribed medications. It is softer in texture, with larger oil glands (pores) that are transparent and clear under light. Oil glands are small, tightly arranged circular dots on the pericarp surface. “Chen Pi” is a general term for orange peels produced in other regions. It is usually processed into shredded form, is slightly hard and brittle, and has smaller oil glands. The best quality has an outer red and inner white appearance, with a fragrant aroma and cleanliness.
The earliest record of “Chen Pi” was as “Jupi” in the “Shennong Ben Cao Jing,” listed as a superior herb under the entry “Juyou,” stating: “Juyou, pungent and warm taste… named Jupi.” In the “Shennong Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu” compiled by Tao Hongjing, it is recorded: “This refers to the efficacy of the peel… and aged ones are best.” The character “Chen” (aged) was introduced here, and the character “Chen” began to appear in the name “Jupi.” The term “Chen Pi” was less common before the Tang Dynasty. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty, when Wang Haogu compiled “Tang Ye Ben Cao,” that it was clearly recorded: “Jupi is best when it is red and aged, hence it is called Hongpi, Chen Pi.” Since then, “Chen Pi” has widely replaced “Jupi” and has become the familiar medicinal material we know today.
Zhangshu City in Jiangxi Province is a famous distribution market for medicinal materials in China. Wholesale Chen Pi is cut into very fine strips to enhance its medicinal properties, earning it the title “Chen Pi Yixiantian.” Clinically, there are different processing methods depending on the intended use. “Tu Chen Pi” is made by heating a pot over low heat, then stir-frying with soil from the stove hearth. After removal, the soil powder is sifted off, and it is cooled before use. Another type is “Si Zhi Chen Pi,” which uses mature orange peels soaked and stir-fried with ginger, vinegar, and wine. This process mainly reduces its harshness and significantly decreases the volatile oils, making it more effective for regulating Qi. Therefore, it is often used for stagnation of Qi in the spleen and stomach, and for abdominal distension.
When purchasing from the market, it’s important to distinguish: “Chen Pi” is made from processed mature orange peels, while “Si Zhi Chen Pi” may be dyed with black tea or dyes, which can affect its therapeutic effects. “Juhong” (https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/%e6%a9%98%e7%b4%85/) is the outer red part of the orange peel, mainly used for symptoms of wind-cold cough and food stagnation from alcohol consumption. “Huajuhong” is primarily derived from the dried outer peel of Huazhou pomelo or immature to near-mature pomelo. There is also a medicinal material called “Chenpi,” which is the dried mature pericarp of sour orange. Finally, there is a traditional Chinese medicine called “Qingpi” (https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/%e9%9d%92%e7%9a%ae/), which is the pericarp of immature or unripe oranges. Medicinal materials are divided into “Sihua Qingpi” and “Ge Qingpi.” The appearance or names of the above medicinal materials are similar or identical to Chen Pi, so care must be taken when purchasing to avoid errors.
Si Zhi Chen Pi
Si Zhi Chen Pi: Artificial Dyeing
Juhong:
Orange-red, thin slices, shriveled and curled, with dense circular protrusions, oil glands are sunken, inner surface is yellowish-white, brittle and easily broken, with a fragrant aroma.
[Image Provided by] Professor Zhang Xianzhe, “Illustrated Catalogue of Authentic Chinese Medicinal Materials” https://whatsintcm.com
[Author Introduction]
Chen Dazhen, Education: Ph.D. in Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Medical University
Current Position: Assistant Researcher, Medical Intelligence Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital
Editor, Traditional Chinese Medicine Subject Committee, National Common Textbook Compilation Committee for Chinese Medicine Schools
Distinguished Lecturer, Industrial Technology Research Institute
Adjunct Lecturer, School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University
Co-founder of Heluo Materia Medica and www.whatsinTCM.com
Honey-processed Juhong
Huajuhong:
Pericarp of Huazhou orange.
Sihua Qingpi:
Appears as four segments, outer surface is black-green, inner surface is yellowish-white.
Qingpi:
Oblong, greenish-yellow, aromatic, with a bitter, pungent, and sour taste.
Ge Qingpi:
Green, spherical, relatively rough texture, surface is grayish-green.